


let the marigolds blossom

by RyeFo



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, F/M, Gen, Miraculous Team, chloe has to put some work into being liked by marinette, written for the team miraculous zine <3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 12:55:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20742548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyeFo/pseuds/RyeFo
Summary: Whenever she looked in a mirror, Chloe used to beg anyone listening to make her more like her mother. But it's when she realized how alike they truly were, it terrified her how much she liked to use and abuse that power. How nasty she truly was.And so, she whispered, “I really did hurt you, didn’t I?”“Yeah,” Marinette said, though quietly. “You did.”(Or, Chloe learns introspection can work wonders.)





	let the marigolds blossom

✿❀✿❀

The first time Marinette called her out in the middle of a battle, Chloe had taken it in stride. She might have been a proud person, but even _she _could admit that she had royally screwed up her first few days of being a hero. In fact, Chloe wanted to pat herself on the back. It’d been weeks of Marinette calling her out in battle, and she’d not said _any _sly remarks that bordered on bullying.

But when Carapace and Rena Rouge—anyone within a _mile _could see it was Nino and Alya, how was everyone so _blind _before—came into the team and she saw the difference in tutelage… well, Chloe could feel the familiar stinger aiming toward Marinette.

When Alya had tripped up and caused a boy to get a scratch on his face, Chloe expected sharp reprimand. Instead, she got gentle coaxing.

When Nino prioritised his little brother’s safety over getting a direct attack on an Akumatized victim, he was treated with sympathy.

Yet, when Chloe suggested something conflicted with _Marinette’s ideas…_

“That would jeopardize too many civilians, Bee!” Ladybug snapped, gesturing to the small crowd of people. “We can’t just attack wide out in the open with an Akuma with the ability to use people like _puppets!” _

“Which is _why _I’m saying we use stealth!” Chloe massaged her forehead. “Get Carapace to escort the civilians, you and Rena sneak up on him, me and Chat attack in the open.”

“It’s too _risky_. Just give me a second to—”

“_Your _power needs recharging. We don’t have _time _to argue.” Chloe gripped her fists. “What will it take for you to _listen _to me! You’ve never argued with Rena or Carapace—”

_"They _never intentionally caused a train to almost crash for their parent’s attention!”

Chloe flinched. _Badly. _“You know what.” She said, voice going to ice. “I’ve put up with _weeks _of this. So, whatever. Go with your plan, _Ladybug. _I’ll _follow._”

“_Good._”

✿❀✿❀

Three civilians got minor injuries. One with a broken arm that Ladybug couldn’t reverse with a wave of her hand.

“_How _could you be so _reckless!” _

Chloe gritted her teeth together, biting back an insult. “I thought I had an opening—_you _were supposed to cover me—”

“Are you _still _bitter I didn’t follow your plan? It wouldn’t have worked anyway!”

“You never even _considered _what I had to say!" Chloe ignored the concerned looks on Alya and Nino's faces, tried to remain ignorant of Adrien's blatant anxiety. She didn't care about the scowl on Marinette's face, and she continued. "I _had_ an opening, I _warned _you about what I was going to do—the Akuma would have found Chat sooner or later, and I wanted to prevent any more injuries, but you were too stubborn—"

“It was going fine, Bee! The Lucky Charm is built on a series of connections, breaking it leaves it virtually useless, and your plan was reckless! It relied on a faux-pas of chance, not a crafted plan—”

“_Dammit, _what the hell is it going to take for you to _trust _me, Ladybug?”

Marinette stopped for a moment. Chloe could see Marinette's emotions flashing in her eyes; the resentment, the anxiety, the years of distrust. It didn't take long before regaining her composure, coupled with Marinette folding her arms. With her head down and voice silent, Chloe just smiled bitterly.

“Right.” Chloe heard the countdown begin and clenched her fists. “Guess I got my answer.”

✿❀✿❀

There was a place her father took her too, not too long after her mother had left to travel the world. A quiet place that Chloe thought had been on the edge of the world, far away from the golden cityscape of Parisian nights. She sat, her feet dangling from the swings, Pollen sound-asleep in her lap. Seeing the little Kwami nuzzle against her thigh made her insides feel _weird. _Fuzzy. _Warm._

“Still sulking?”

Chloe jumped, quickly checking if Pollen had been disturbed. Seeing how she still slumbered, Chloe whipped her head around with a pointed glare. “_Ssh!”_

Adrien chuckled, taking a seat on the other swing. “Didn’t realise it was nap time in the hive, sorry.”

The chains began to squeak under Adrien’s weight. Chloe tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be consoling Miss Agitated?”

Adrien’s brow quirked. “You know, you really don’t help when you insult her.”

Chloe gripped her fists. “_She’s _the one with the problem. You saw her back there!” Ducking her head, she felt that familiar spiteful rage bubble up in her throat. “Doubting everything I said, insulting my plans without knowing them—I didn’t even _do _anything!”

Adrien rocked back and fourth on his feet. “Mm. Sounds like she’s the one with the problem.”

“Right?” Chloe shook her head. “And—and _she’s _the one who gave me the Kwami in the first place! She trusted me with Pollen again! Why would she distrust someone when _she _made that choice to make someone she apparently hates a hero? Is she _stupid?_”

“Maybe.”

“And not just that—” Chloe side-eyed Adrien. “…_Why _are you smiling.”

His grin only grew, making Chloe’s lip curl into a pout. “I didn’t think Marinette’s opinion meant so _much _to you.” She opened her mouth to argue with him, but he raised a finger. “And don’t try that whole _it’s not her, it’s Ladybug _spiel on me again.”

Chloe, with no words to save contest, huffed and let her hands fall to her side. 

The smile faded from Adrien’s expression, and he gripped the swings tighter. “Chloe, I’ve known you since you were a kid. Saw you fall apart when your Mom left.”

The bitter sting in her eye was a _by-product _of Pollen’s stinging magic. _Nothing more._

“I used to sit by when you were at your worst. You’ve got a lot of pride, and I was terrified of being alone, so we let all those issues crop up over and over. I did nothing, and that’s on me. I should have stood up to you sooner.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, and she knew the guilt was pricking him. Over and over, she’d heard his desperate whimpers over the crackling of phone static, and sometimes she wanted to rip him away from Gabriel’s toxic grasp. 

“You used to bully Marinette,” he said, and she stilled. “Have you ever thought about how hard it is _for _her to just… get over what you did to her?”

Her mouth gaped. “I—I…”

Adrien suddenly got off the swing, and crouched down next to her, holding her arm gently. “I know you’re trying to be a better person. You’re putting so much energy into it. But you can’t just… self-improve, yeah?”

“I’m not _just _thinking of myself!” Chloe felt panic rise, and she clenched her fists. “I—I’m _trying! _I don’t _want _to hurt anyone anymore!_”_

“I know you don't. I believe you, Chloe,” Adrien said, “but you’ve got to think of Marinette this time, and how _you _can help _her._”

Chloe looked at him, lip trembling. “How can I do that?”

He shrugged. “Get on her level. You can’t just do one big gesture and expect that to fix _everything_, but maybe apologise so she knows she can trust you not to damage her again.”

Those words already haunted her. The very _idea _that Chloe once wielded that… ability to fracture someone? It made her _sick._

Adrien patted her shoulder. “But you’re on your own with this, Chloe. I’m not doing the work for you.”

When he stood up, her eyes stayed fixated on where he’d gotten eye-to-eye with her, and Chloe found that she was left with the quiet whispers of Pollen resting, and her own thoughts.

_Get on her level, huh?_

✿❀✿❀

In the quiet afternoon, as Chloe was left in the dust of her own thoughts, a little ladybug had been rooted behind a brick wall during the conversation between her and Adrien.

When the silence returned, Paris’ darling little hero slipped into the shadows.

✿❀✿❀

Get on her level. Get on her _level. _Chloe huffed, laying back on her bed and covering her eyes with her forearm. The conversation from earlier echoed in her mind. _Get on her level. _Getting on someone’s level wasn’t exactly a game she’d _bothered _to play before! Adrien’s advice sure was rich from someone who hadn’t been raised to be a complete jerk! At least Emilie had understood _basic human compassion. _

_No, _she bit back the familiar feeling of spite, _you’re not entering the blame-game again. Stop being the Old Chloe. Stop being your parents. You can be better than this. You're **going **to be better than this._

So, she tried again, and took a breath. Marinette. Dupain-Cheng. She’s a person. A girl in her class that Chloe terrorised and belittled for years, who for some inane reason decided to trust her with the Bee Miraculous. She's Ladybug, world-renown hero and the darling of Paris. One and the same. But _Marinette. _She's... someone who likes fashion and baking, someone who’s kind-hearted with a jealous streak. She’s a person Chloe greatly despised at one stage.

Now, who is she? Who does Chloe want to be to her? A team-mate? A role-model?

…A _friend?_

_Ugh. _The lonely little girl in Chloe’s heart had been screaming for Marinette’s friendship from day one. No use denying that now. Marinette’s kindness was infectious _and _magnetic, the same thing that drew her to Adrien.

“Get on her level, Chloe.” Slowly, she sat up, and her eyes drifted to her sketchbook.

“No…” Something clicked in her head. “Don’t get on her level.” She reached over and swiped her sketchbook, feeling near-breathless. “_Speak her language._”

Grabbing her pencil, she clicked on the lamp, and let her mind spill out.

✿❀✿❀

** _[The Hive]_ **

**_honeycomb [04:31]:  
_**hey, can you give me marinette’s number?

**_Yaydrien [04:40]_****:  
**how are you even awake right now

****_Honeycomb: [04:41]  
_magic  
now, about the number? Please?

**_Yaydrien [04:42]  
_**why

**_Honeycomb [04:43]:  
_**The Thing. Please.

**_Yaydrien_**_: [04:44]_  
damn. 2 pleases. I’ve been b l e s s e d.  
here [XXXX-XXXX]

**_Honeycomb [04:44]  
_**thx

**Adrien Agreste has changed Chloe Bourgeoise’s name to _‘Congrats on being an Actual Human Being.’_**

**_Congrats on being an Actual Human Being:  
_**shut up you absolute meme

✿❀✿❀

"Alright, Bee, I don’t know _why _this couldn’t have waited until morning—” Marinette clipped her yo-yo back to her side. “But there’d better be a good reason for you calling me in the middle of the night.”

Chloe tensed the _moment _she heard Marinette’s voice, gripping the sketchbook closer to her chest.

“You—” She cleared her dry throat. “You weren’t talking to me at school.”

Marinette folded her arms and raised a brow. “You never complained before.”

"I’m not—” _How does Adrien do this. How. _Chloe steeled her nerves. _Breathe, Chloe. You're not your parents. You're better than them. So just... say the truth. Even if it is disgusting._ “You’ve got every right to be annoyed with how I've been acting.” She dared not lift her gaze to see Marinette’s expression. “I—I kept questioning your decisions. Trying to take over and arguing with you, without considering how hard it's been for you _or _the rest of the team. That wasn’t… fair of me. I'm sorry.”

“Oh.” Marinette’s guarded posture faded, and she instead chose to sit on the edge of the skyscraper, legs dangling off. With a hesitant wave of her hand, she gestured for Chloe to join her.

And then, they were just two teenage girls, looking at Paris in the middle of the night.

It was in the golden hues of the city, the gales that scoped the skyscrapers, that history really began to dawn on Chloe. The years of little comments, the acts of vandalism and side-stepping blame. The smug grins and looks she would have whenever Marinette was beaten down, battered by comments, and the frustration Chloe felt when nothing ever seemed to _ruin _Marinette.

Whenever she looked in a mirror, Chloe used to beg _anyone _listening to make her more like her mother. But it's when she realized how alike they truly were, it _terrified _her how much she liked to use and abuse that power. How _nasty _she truly was.

And so, she whispered, “I really did hurt you, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Marinette said, though quietly. “You did.” 

“You always seemed so tough.” Chloe glanced down. “It seemed nothing could break you.”

“Are you kidding me?" There was a slow, sad little chuckle. Chloe could hear Marinette swallow; see out of the corner of her eyes just how fast Marinette was blinking. "You were the reason I used to fake being sick so much two years ago."

Marinette hunched her shoulders and turned away. "I… I _hated _how you made me feel.”

Pure, self-hatred pitted in Chloe's stomach. _You did this to her. _

“Then… why did you do it?” Chloe bit her lip. “Why give me Pollen?”

“You want the truth? You're not going to like it.” When Chloe nodded, Marinette sighed. “You were causing _so _many Akumas, Chloe. Hawkmoth probably has us pinned down to a certain location, hence why all the attacks take place so close together. So, even after everything that happened the first time around, I… thought if I gave you Pollen, it might…”

As much as it stings, Chloe can’t fault the logic. “It was so you could keep an eye on me.”

Marinette brought her knees in. “I wish my motives were… nicer, and you are a great hero. But I didn’t see my own feelings being the biggest roadblock in us working as a team—”

“Stop it, Mari.” Marinette lifted her head in surprise. Chloe’s hands were white with how hard she was gripping her book. “You’ve done nothing wrong. Stop _blaming _yourself, you _idiot_. You can’t control who hurts you or how you respond, and you never hurt anyone _back. _Out of anyone, you shouldn’t be…”

The words tasted _too _familiar—Adrien, calling in the middle of the night, _‘I’m not a good enough son, it’s my fault, I shouldn’t have asked for more freedom’—and _suddenly, Chloe realises that control she and Gabriel had weren’t so different, and she hates who she used to be _so much more. _

“Chloe?”

She was brought back to reality with a warm hand on her shoulder, but Chloe gently swatted it off. “No, don’t comfort me. Not the time for that.”

Instead of dwelling, Chloe pushed the black sketchbook into Marinette’s hands. Seeing the confusion on her face, Chloe rubbed the back of her neck. “I know it’s not my place, but you said before you’d thought of redesigning your costume.” Heat prickled on her cheeks as she fidgeted. “You don’t have to—I mean, they’re just scribbles, really, but if you needed—I don’t know, something to laugh at so your worst ideas don’t seem bad…”

Seeing Marinette flip through the detailed sketches made Chloe even more embarrassed. The flips got slower and slower until she was _seriously _studying Chloe’s drawings. “I’ll…” Marinette glanced away but kept the sketchbook close. “I’ll keep these in mind.”

Chloe’s tight hands loosened, and something washed over her. Not quite relief, but… something akin to calm. _This is the best I’m going to get for now._

Chloe leaned back on her hands. “That’s good enough then. For now.”

“Yeah,” Marinette said, and Chloe could hear the smile in her words. “For now.”

✿❀✿❀

It was a few weeks later when Chloe finally struck up the nerve to approach Marinette again. Chloe knew where she was—sat in the classroom at lunch, with Adrien one side, Alya and Nino at the other.

Chloe tugged on her braid (Adrien had suggested it), before swallowing down her nerves and going on inside. “Is that seat taken?”

“Chloe?” Marinette blinked in surprise, before wordlessly pulling the empty chair out.

Perching awkwardly on the edge, she ignored Adrien’s shit-eating grin and turned her attention to Marinette. In front of her, several stacks of paper with unfinished sketches lay scattered, and it was blatant there had been an attempt to organise them before Marinette had given up. “Are you still working on the design?”

Marinette nodded, slowly. “It’s still hard to get right. I’ve been using your designs for reference, and I like the idea—but practicality wise, it’s a bit—”

“You’re literally fighting in a one-piece. A little weight on you isn’t going to hurt.”

Marinette gave a playful scowl. “I _like _it.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “You’re a _fashion designer,_ Marinette_. _That style is bland and uninspired. I expected better from your creativity—I mean, I thought you were so good I _stole _from you, remember?”

“That’s—” Marinette paused, looking over her papers. “…a good point, actually.”

“Yeah, so _listen _to me when I say you’re _better _than this nonsense.” Chloe looked through and grabbed one of the sketches. “This black bodice is good on this one. It could be protective if you made it into a light armor.”

“Light…armor?”

Chloe’s eyes snapped open. “Wait, I didn’t use that term—”

“Chloe’s a closet gamer.” Adrien piped up, throwing an arm around his now-_very-pissed-_childhood friend. “And an anime nerd.”

"Takes one to _know _one, Adrien!” She batted him on the shoulder, glaring daggers. “You can quote the entire first episode of Naruto _off-by-heart._”

“I wear it like a badge of honour.”

“Ugh, you’re such a _weeb._”

“Takes one to _know _one~!”

Watching the two friends tease each other, Marinette found herself looking deeper at Chloe. The layers fading, the playfulness returning. She looked less like a girl playing dress-up, and more like… just a normal teenager, unbound by parental expectation and desperation for approval.

Marinette felt a small smile come to her face. “Chloe?”

“…Yeah?”

She handed Chloe a pencil. “Why don’t you show me what you mean?”

Staring at the pencil in her hand, Chloe glanced at the expectant eyes on her… and the hesitant look of trust Marinette had for her. Chloe steadied the paper on the table, and with a smile, drew her first line.

✿❀✿❀

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Team Miraculous zine! (https://team-miraculous-zine.tumblr.com/) Please leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed this piece. I fully appreciate any feedback given! <3


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